Chimes



' Feb. 26 1924. 1,484,655 I J. B. KOHLER cnmss Filed Nov. 1, 1920 d" H I" II" Patented Feb. 26, 1924.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. KOHLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CRIMES.

i Application filed November 1, 1920. Serial No. 420,887.

To all whom it may concern v Be it known that I, JOHN B. KOHLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chimes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates more particularly to improvements in musical instruments of the percussion type wherein the apertured sound boxes or resonators have mounted thereon graduated sound bars which are so arranged that adjacent tone bars are disposed four semi-tones apart so as to afford a succession of major thirds to obviate tonal interferences which often occur when the tone bars are spaced two semi-tones apart.

It is an object of this invention to provide a chime wherein the sound bars are spaced four semi-tones apart to eliminate interference.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a percussion chime having the tone bars distributed on connected parallel apertured sound boxes in such a manner that tonal interferences are substantially eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a musical instrument wherein the tone bars comprising each octave are distributed on different resonating bases to permit adjacent tone bars to be four semitones apart.

It is furthermore an object of the invention to provide a chime wherein a plurality of apertured sound resonators have the graduated sound bars mounted one over each of the apertures and with adjacent sound barsfour semi-tones apart with the longer or lower note tone bars mounted near the ends of the resonatorswhile the shorter or higher note tone bars are positioned at the middle portions of the resonators.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a chime wherein the tone bars are gradually reduced in length from both ends toward the center and with adjacent bars sufficiently differentiated in tone to eliminate interferences.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and drawings. The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a percussion chime embodying the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross section thereof taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numerals l and 2 indicate parallel wooden sound boxes or resonators connected by means of cross bars or supports 3. Each sound box is divided into a plurality of graduated chambers 4 formed by a plurality of small longitudinal partitions 5 and a plurality of spaced partitions 5 disposed parallel to one another transversely of the sound box. The top wall of each sound box is provided with a plurality of openings or apertures 6, one for each of the tone chambers 4. i

The chime disclosed in the drawing is of a two base type covering forty-nine notes 0 to C, four octaves chromatic.

Secured equidistantly on the top wall of each sound box are a plurality of eye pins 7 and 8 respectively. Threaded through the eye pins 7 is a single heavy silken cord 9, and threaded through the eye pins 8 are two silken cords 10. The ends of the cords 9 and 10 are secured to the end eye pins. The silken cords 9 and 10 are provided for the purpose of supporting a plurality of metal or wooden tone bars 11 which are graduated in length in the arrangement disclosed in Figure 1 to produce the notes of a musical scale when the sound bars are struck to vibrate the same.

Each of the tone bars 11 has inserted through an aperture near one end thereof a line thereof.

rubber sleeve 12. throush screw 13 project and is top wall of the sound b A felt washer 1 is engaged on the upper end of each rubleeve above the tone bar and below the which a retaining threaded into the U n opposite The aoertured ends of v L the c t c "ds 9, while en of inc c i is are disposeu between 1e doul le cords 10. Each of the tone bars or sounding members 11 is mounted to permit tree vibration t blow imparted there sired tone. The tone bars 1 r ll'C mounted so 1 that each bar is CLISPOSGQ over one of the sound box openi 2 tures G, commu- .ing with the so chamber for (ZiOUD of each octave are mounted on the n g F 1 1 1 lert hell or the primary sound cox and comprise the tones C, E and G The second group or" ton-e bars for each octave are mounted on the left h i of the secondary sound box 2 and comprise the tones Cit, F and ii in the orcer named. The third group 0: tone b: for each octave is niounted on the right half or the primary sound box 1 and embraces the tones D, Fi iand Ai reading inwardly. The fourth group of tone bars for each mounted on the right halt of the secondary sound b0); 2 and embraces the tones G and B reading inwardly. The tone bar high G for the tourth octave is the shortest and is mounted in the middle or the sound box 1, as illustrated in F "e l. The tone bars on 1., "W. ,i invalid the center N l V i ino important oi interference. the tone bars permits unhindered vibration oi the tone bars wnen struck with a heater or hammer.

l am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

l claim as my invention:

1. musical. instrument comprising a of sound members, and tone bars pups with adjacent ""n chime conurising tone to afiorzl with the ting each octave divided s are four semi-tones apart. 1 musics instrument comprising a ity or apertured sound boxes. .1 plum .r being of different pitch and arranged to give a succession of rumor so that ad acent bars are four semimusical instrument comprising a pair of connected apertured sound boxes, and a plurality of tone bars supported thereon over the apertures therein, said tone bars u ed with the tone bars of each octave led into {Zroups which are mounted on iosite ends of both sound boxes with the '..cent tone bars arranged to give a succ-cssi n of major thirds and four semi-tones a. art.

' l chime embracing a plurality of apsound boxes, means connecting the and plurality of tone bars supported said sound boxes in a manner to permit vibration of the tone bars, said tone mounted on'each sound box, each group consisting of three tone bars with adjacent anged to give a succession of major nd four semi-tones apart. chime comprising sound boxes havl f the tone bars arranged in the order snown and described to give a succession of m jor thirds with adjacent tone bars four semi-tones apart.

7. A. chime comprising primary and secondary apertured sound boxes, and a plurality of graduated tone bars supported reon over the apertures thereof with the tone bars of each octave divided into four groups and distributed on said sound boxes llows; the first group positioned on the es left half of the primary sound box and comprising bars having tones C, E and Gi the second group positioned on the left half of the secondary box and comprising bars having tones Cir, F and A, the third group p0- sitioncd on the right half of the primary sound box and comprising bars having tones D, F# and A# reading inwardly, and the fourth group positioned on the right half In testimony whereof I have hereunto of the secondary sound box and comprising subscribed my name in the presence of two 10 bars having tones D#, G and B reading insubscribing witnesses.

\vardly.

l 8. A percussion instrument having tone JOHN KOHLER' bars arranged to give a succession of major Witnesses: thirds with adjacent tone bars four semi- FRED E. PAESLER,

tones apart. EARL M. HARDINE. 

